Successstories

• Please tell me a little bit about you. Who are you as an entrepreneur? What is your background? What inspires you?

I wouldn’t call myself a traditional entrepreneur, but I am definitely a result oriented one. Before starting Doctor STD I attended a private college in Los Angeles focusing on the fashion industry. I was determined to pursue a career in marketing, and worked with PR firms and high-profile clients. After a few years in LA, I started to feel like the fashion industry were a bit too superficial, and as an intern you could easily lose your position to someone else on any given day. That way of living wasn’t appealing to me anymore, and I wanted to create something bigger and to create something that matters.

• What’s the backstory to your company? How did you come up with the business idea/where does it origin from? What does “the elevator pitch” sound like?

The idea of Doctor STD came when one of my friends confided in me that her ex-boyfriend had called her up and told her to get tested for an STI. She didn’t want to disclose much more than that, so we turned to our dear friend Google. What we found on Google made everything worse. People were giving faulty and sometimes dangerous advice when they clearly didn’t have any real knowledge about it. Some even went so far to tell the people asking for help that they deserved whatever STD they caught. Clearly something needed to be done here.

Around the same time, I had started to switch merchandise classes to business classes at school, and I put this new idea of mine into a business plan. That was the start of it.

Doctor STD offers online meetings with doctor and nurses, focusing on the area of sexual health. On the Doctor STD platform, people can get correct answers and if needed- a treatment plan. It also has a spin off called STD Talk where people can anonymously still ask each other questions and share personal experiences. The forum is moderated by a healthcare professional to make sure people are not sharing dangerous and faulty information, like the ones we found when googling for my friend.

• What has been your toughest challenges so far? Key learnings?

I’ve learned that if they won’t give you more than 15 minutes, then you better make the most out of those 15 minutes you’ll get. Be focused, well spoken, know your market and need, and present it in a way that they remember you. And always take the high road.

Another big key learning is to be able to be adaptable to the market. The market is changing faster than ever, and if you’re not able to adapt, it won’t survive. You can have a great idea that solves a need, but if the market is moving forward and you’re not, it will most definitely fail.

Another big key learning at the time was the importance of finding a great incubator and to surround yourself with likeminded people. After moving into my Incubator, it took off immediately.

• (How) is the company connected to an incubator or science park? Has it had an impact on you as an entrepreneur / your business?

Doctor STD is a part of Framtidens Företag Incubator. They are a big part of my success in so many ways. I got the coaching I needed, help with practicing my pitch, and a whole new network. Being part of this incubator also gave Doctor STD the credibility it needed. Within two months from moving in, I got my first offer from an investor.

• Are you collaborating with any other actors (public/private/first big customer etc.)? After launching a first beta version, we started getting customers/users from all over the world. We chose the name Doctor STD because of the SEO. Doctor and STD are usually the words people google when having questions about symptoms or if they are worried in general. We were happy to see that some of our first customers came from UK, US and Germany. Through that we could connect with organisations in those countries. We just got fully funded in our first stage investment round, and among with our new investors, we also got some big partners. Without saying too much, I am sure these new connections will be a game changer for Doctor STD.

In English

What we offer

The incubator offers development opportunities to entrepreneurs and start up companies. We work with companies younger than 5 years. We are a value-based incubator focusing on growth through sustainable economic and equal values. The incubator are situated in centrally located premises in Gothenburg. We work with great minds. Establishing many successful companies has made us a highly professional team. We believe that having a diverse mix of personalities enriches our company and your. Our values are that sustainable companies grow with equality, helfullness and respect for customers and employees.

The goal for our companies are that they will act in a professional ways towards employees and customer so that they on their own, can generate growth and results, as well as live up to its vision and values.

At Framtidens Företag we provide:

Business development for entrepreneurs and feed back on the business idea.

Connections to capital

Other great entrepreneurs to share office with as well as struggles and joy.

Fully equipped office

International opportunities to test your pitch

Business Incubator:

If you would like to apply to the incubator acceleration program, you will need to have identified your customer and provide a comprehensive growth strategy. Your customer strategy needs to be specific and have a unique problem solving approach.

The incubator programme aims at progressing you and your business. Each program is tailored to your needs and experiences. As the CEO of your company, you are invited to our managing directors’ meetings where you will have access to a forum with the incubator’s other leaders. The forum is a place where you can exchange experiences between business leaders and support and share experiences with each other. We practice pitching before our Value Creation Forum that takes place two times per semester.